Is EU support propping up one of the world’s most anti-democratic regimes?

News

Financial investments and political support provided by the European Union (EU) are only serving to worsen human rights violations in Turkmenistan as the regime consolidates its grip on power, advocacy groups say.

Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated countries in the world, with a repressive authoritarian regime built around the personality cult of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.

But in spite of severe limits on freedom of expression, association and information in the country, Turkmenistan also has the world’s fourth largest natural gas reserves, which makes it very attractive for Europe ̶ especially in the context of crisis in Ukraine and the EU’s determination to reduce its energy dependency on Russia.

In June, the EU held a Human Rights Dialogue with the Turkmen government while pursuing a gas supply deal at the same time, in view of the pending ratification of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which has been on the table since 1998.

A Turkmen national, who preferred to remain anonymous, commented of the gas deal on the popular Turkmen social network Line: “Whatever! Let them deliver [the gas] even to Brazil, I do not see any benefits, for us, the people. We only dream that we would live like the Arabs!”

A few months prior to the Dialogue and gas deal, Turkmenistan agreed to a few democratisation steps, including a Law on Public Associations. The new rules grant citizens the right to establish and join public associations of their choice and prohibits state interference in the activities of associations.

However, major provisions remain problematic, such as the requirement for compulsory registration, strict registration rules for national-level organisations, provisions granting authorities wide and largely unfettered powers to oversee the activities and funding of the associations and broad grounds for shutting them down.

The restrictions extend to trade unions. As Freedom House writes in its country profile on Turkmenistan: “The government-controlled Association of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan is the only central trade union permitted. Workers are barred by law from bargaining collectively or staging strikes.”

No new NGOs are known to have obtained registration since the law came into force, and independent civil society groups addressing human rights and other sensitive issues can still only operate underground or in exile.

A legal framework for internet use was also approved, but any criticism of the president or the government is still illegal. Meanwhile, foreign news sources, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other popular websites remain banned.

Then, on 1 July, 2015, the first Law on Assemblies, allowing citizens to organise demonstrations, protest and pickets, came into force on. But here again, it includes specific provisions that have unexpected negative consequences for human rights defenders.

Activists argue the government now has a legal basis to restrict and arrest people more easily, as any public gathering aimed at criticising state or local policies is illegal if not permitted by the relevant local government.

 

No satellite dishes

In addition to internet censorship, government authorities have been forcibly dismantling privately-owned satellite dishes from rooftops in several Turkmen cities.

This happened after President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, who succeeded former president-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov in 2007, mentioned that “the numerous television antennas installed on the roofs and facades of residential buildings have a negative impact on the architectural and urban appearance of the capital city, Ashgabat”.

However, for most Turkmens, the antennas are the only way to receive TV and radio programs not controlled by the government.

Meanwhile, EU countries like France recently adopted laws allowing the ratification of the PCA between the EU and Turkmenistan.

In addition, in its EU Strategy for Central Asia, signed on 22 June, 2015, in Brussels, the EU Council stated it “recognises that the entry into force of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Turkmenistan would help develop the full potential of this relationship.”

Amongst the objectives of the Strategy, strengthening energy and trade partnerships between the EU and Central Asian countries tops the list. The document also describes democratisation and respect for human rights as “essential”.

The Turkmen Human Rights Initiative, led by human rights activist, Farid Tuhbatullin, along with other human rights organisations wrote an open letter to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, asking the European Commission to urge the Turkmen government to stop its campaign to remove satellite dishes.

“In particular as the European Union moves closer to finalising a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Turkmenistan, the EU should make clear that the satellite removal campaign, in current conditions, constitutes yet another serious violation of the right to freedom of expression, specifically the right to seek and receive information, in a country where such rights are already so thoroughly limited and is inconsistent with the human rights clause of the PCA,” the letter states.

 

“No-one dares to object”

Mengli (not her real name) works in a pharmacy store in the Mary region of Turkmenistan.

Speaking to Equal Times by phone, she talks about the mandatory ’çäre’ ̶ large-scale public events held to praise the regime. All workers and students must attend unless they are medically exempt from doing so.

“Çäre still happens. Not as often as before [during the previous regime], but we still have to go,” Mengli says.

Attendance of these numerous “celebrations”, concerts, sporting events and plays is compulsory, as failure to attend can result in getting bad grades at school, and even being fired.

In order to avoid spending hours in the scorching summer heat, without adequate food, drinks or toilet facilities, a medical certificate is required. They can be bought but the cost means that only the wealthiest Turkmens can afford one.

“To say it was difficult is to say nothing [an understatement],” recalls Mengli about the time she and her colleagues had to spend in the Karakum Desert so that their bodies would form a word that could be seen as the president’s airplane flew over the desert.

“We had to come the night before on a bus. We brought some food and water from home, and a folding chair to sit on. It was freezing in the sands at night and extremely hot in the afternoon. We rehearsed for hours that night in order to spell the words ’Arkadaga Şöhrat!’ ̶ ’Glory to the Protector’[editor’s note: the title given with Berdimuhamedov]”.

“Everybody was tired, dusty, hungry and thirsty, but no-one could leave since we were in the middle of nowhere and did not have any transportation. Some fainted, some were sick for weeks after. But no-one dares to object. Everybody has families to take care of, no-one wants to be fired.”

This scenario repeats itself all over the country during its 42 annual holidays, such as the Day of the Turkmen Carpet, Melon Day, Akhal-teke Horse Day, in addition to the numerous presidential visits made to various Turkmen regions.

In October 2014, a presidential security vehicle crashed into a group of school children greeting President Berdymuhamedov in Mary, killing ten people and disabling eight children. No-one dared to protest.

Though the EU discussed the country’s human rights situation, as well as specific cases in June with Ashgabat, Turkmen citizens are still denied from exercising their most basic human rights.

In this context, campaigners wonder whether the EU’s quest for gas diversification will help strengthen democracy in Turkmenistan, or simply serve to help tighten the leash of repression.